Adoption
by Awesomerigby
Summary: Niles and Daphne are hoping to have a baby, when his low mobility sperm prevents them from doing so, they seek out other options.
1. Chapter 1

Adoption

The woman at the sperm bank told Niles it would be difficult for he and Daphne to conceive thanks to his slow sperm, and he just felt so… disheartened. He loved Daphne with all his heart, and he never wanted to start a family with anyone else more than with her. To think he might not be able to give her a child; it killed him.

He knew he could try some methods to keep his sperm count up, but really at his age, would it do any good? Perhaps all he could do was tell Daphne, and try to keep themselves hopeful. After all, the woman didn't tell him they would never be able to conceive, just that it would be difficult. Niles hoped with his entire being that he and Daphne would be able to beat those odds.

He was tempted to go to Frasier's, unburden himself to his father or his brother, but he knew that Daphne had to know first. She was his wife, and this would affect her the most. It was affecting him, sure, but her happiness meant more to him than anything else.

But how would he ever begin to tell her? These past few days, they had been exhilarated at the thought of having a child together, and every time they saw each other, they would grin and giggle and relish in the idea. He knew that when he saw his wife, she would be grinning and giggling, no doubt thinking of their child, and he didn't want to give her the news. But, there was nothing he could do. His sperm was substandard, and he couldn't do much to change that.

"Daphne?" he asked as he opened the door to the Montana. The room was slightly dimmed. He shut the door behind him.

"Hello," he heard her saw from the top of the stairs. His eyes traveled up the stairs to her, and there she was, wearing a black teddy with a pout on her full lips. Niles dropped the dvd he was holding in his hands. It was a dvd of one of her favorite movies, _Mrs. Doubtfire_ , and he got it to help lighten the mood.

"Daphne…"

She flipped her hair and strode down the stairs. Niles could swear she was shrouded in a heavenly light. Even though coming to terms that Daphne was far different from his fantasies, she was still a goddess.

"You seem surprised. I guess I shouldn't be surprised though. With all the equipment you got, you wouldn't have expected me to be wearing this." Daphne smiled. "I thought about what your father said. Why make things complicated? Let's just let it happen."

Niles heart sank. He wanted Daphne right now, just as he always did, but the fact that she hoped they would conceive was maddening. "Daphne… you know I love you."

"Yeah?" her smile fell, obviously confused.

"And you know I always want you, but… I can't keep this secret."

"You better not tell me you're seeing someone else." He could tell by her tone she was teasing, but it didn't make him feel any better. "Niles, are you alright?"

"I went to the sperm bank today. And they told me my sample wasn't used. So, no little Niles Cranes running around." He sighed heavily. "But… they told me it was discarded because… of low mobility. We might not be able to have children." He couldn't look in her the eye, he didn't dare. But when he looked up, he saw what he expected: a disappointed wife. "I'm so sorry. I wish it wasn't like this, but…"

"Shh." Daphne silenced him with a kiss. "Don't apologize. I don't think any less of you."

"You're not angry?"

"Of course not. I'm sad, yes, but not angry… we _might_ not be able to have children, but that doesn't mean we can't." The full lip pout appeared on her face again. "I'm still in this little number, and we could always try the old fashioned way."

A smile graced Niles's lips as Daphne took his hand and led him upstairs.

They had been trying for months, but every pregnancy test Daphne took told her that she was not pregnant. Niles was so afraid that this was his fault, but Daphne assured him it wasn't. They just needed a little more time.

"Daphne?" Niles asked.

"I'm in the bathroom."

"Are you taking another test?" He dreaded the answer. He didn't want her to be disappointed again.

"Yes. I have to keep taking them, you know."

"Yes, I know."

He waited outside the door for the five minutes to past. It felt more like five hours to him. When the door finally opened, he turned around to see Daphne. Her face was unreadable, and that only made him more nervous. Then, she smiled.

"You're pregnant?" he asked.

"I'm pregnant," she confirmed.

"Oh, Daphne!" He threw his arms around her, and she buried her head into his shoulder. He kissed the top of her head. "This is amazing."

"I know! Oh, I'm so excited! We're going to be parents…"

"Parents… I'm going to be a father." He had dreamed of this moment for the longest time. Years ago, he had wanted a baby, but then he realized he didn't just want a baby; he wanted to have a baby with Daphne. And now, he was getting that wish. "Do you want to break the news to Dad and Frasier tonight?"

"I think that would be just the ticket." She kissed him, and his hands went to her stomach, imagining their child growing within her.

 **Author's Note: I've had this in my documents for a while. It's not finished yet, and I hope to keep it going. I feel bad for not updating other stories, but oh well, I'll get to them eventually haha.**


	2. Chapter 2

Niles was beyond excited for dinner. He couldn't wait to tell Frasier and Martin the news. He imagined the scenario as he hurriedly went from pot to pot.

"Are you sure you don't want help?" Daphne asked, coming into the kitchen. She grabbed some plates from the cupboard.

"I'm fine. You're carrying our child; the least I can do is make dinner."

Daphne laughed. "Make sure you make me some iced tea."

"Oh, right. I knew I forgot something." Niles turned the heat down on one of the pots, and got started on Daphne's iced tea.

A child, he could hardly believe it. What would it be? A boy, a girl? Either way, Niles would love his baby unconditionally. What would he name their child? He always liked the name David for a boy. And if it was a girl, well, Martin would probably want them to name her Hester, after Niles's mother. But, Niles quite liked Katherine. Oh, name choosing never felt so lovely. Of course, he'd have to consult Daphne about it.

Once the table was set, and the food was out, Frasier and Martin arrived at the door. Niles couldn't stop the smile on his face, and he was sure he had already given it away.

He kept the news secret until after dinner was cleared away. It was torture. There were so many times he wanted to just scream it out, but he exchanged glances with Daphne who subtly shook her head.

"Okay. Now, I need to say something," Niles said, his hand wrapped around his wine glass. "Daphne and I have been together for a while, and…" He tried to think of a quotation he could use, but his heart was pounding so hard, he could barely think. "Well… it's quite remarkable, really. Daphne and I… are having a baby."

Martin grinned. "Are you serious?"

"Yes," Daphne giggled. "Took the test today."

"Daphne, Niles, that's wonderful!" Frasier cheered, taking them both into his arms. "After months of trying… I'm so happy for you."

"Gonna spoil that kid rotten," Martin pointed out.

"Yes, Dad, we know. Daphne and I are thrilled. We're going to be parents." He kissed her deeply. "I can't wait."

The rest of the evening was talking about babies, names, nursery ideas, and Niles never imagined how happy and complete his life would become.

The next week was full of joy and excitement of having a baby. Daphne hadn't started showing yet, but Niles was ready for that day. He couldn't wait for the world to see that he and his wife were having a baby. He wanted everyone to share in his happiness.

So, imagine his surprise when he came home one afternoon to find Daphne on the couch, looking as if she had been crying. It must have been hormones, he supposed, though, being the devoted husband he was, he couldn't have shrugged it off as such.

"You alright?" he asked, sitting next to her.

"Today has not been a good day."

"What happened?" He wanted her to say the vacuum cleaner didn't work, she was stuck in traffic, Martin was being difficult with his exercises, Eddie was being annoying.

There were a ton of things he wanted her to say, but one of them was not, "I got my period."

"What?"

"Just this morning, after you left. I didn't want to call you because of work, you know. I didn't tell anyone. So, I'm not pregnant."

"But… the test."

"It must have been a false positive. I'm so sorry."

"No… it's my fault," he said softly. "If my sperm had been better, this wouldn't have happened…"

"No, Niles, stop it. It was one false positive. We'll have a baby, I'm sure of it." She sounded so confident, yet so scared, but he had began to feel better. Though he was still disappointed. How could he not be?

It was hard telling Frasier and Martin. Martin had been so excited about having another a grandchild. He told them, "I'm sorry, you two. These things happen. It'll be better." And Frasier offered his apologies and tried to assure them it would be okay.

Niles wasn't sure what to do, but Daphne tried to assure time after time that everything would be okay. Even with her words of comfort- comfort that meant more than anything- he was still nervous.

He met Roz one day at Cafe Nervosa, and to his chagrin, her daughter Alice was with her. He envied how much joy and love Roz had found in Alice, and only hoped he and Daphne could experience that as well.

"Hi, Uncle Niles," Alice grinned when she saw him. He smiled back and gave her a big hug, but it was clear from Roz's expression that she knew the smile did not reach his eyes.

"Alice, honey, why don't you go with Jack?" Roz asked. A burly man at the door waved at Roz and Alice.

"Okay." Alice skipped over to the man who picked her up and kissed her cheek.

"New boyfriend," Roz commented. "Great guy. Alice adores him. You don't have to say anything, Niles. Daphne told me."

"She's torn up about it…" He sighed. "What if we just can't have children? If that's true, it's all my fault because…"

"Will you shut up?" Roz snapped. It was a nice change to have someone snap at him for once, rather than try to be reassuring and nice at the same time. "Listen, just try again once Daphne's period is over. If still nothing happens, go to a doctor."

"A doctor?" He couldn't even bear to think about it. What if they went, and he told them they couldn't have kids because of him? "I don't know, Roz…"

"Well, you can't just keep trying and hoping it will happen. You need to know when you need help."

What choice did he have? Niles knew Roz was right. They had to know for sure; they couldn't keep trying, holding out on the hope that Daphne would magically become pregnant.

"You're right," he finally said. "We'll try again, and if nothing happens…" He shrugged and left his sentence hanging.

As Roz grabbed her purse and got up to leave, Niles felt her hand press down against his shoulder comfortingly. "It'll be alright, you idiot."

Never had Roz's banter been so comforting.


	3. Chapter 3

Niles had been feeling confident that this time that the test would confirm her pregnancy, and stay that way. But, this time, the test came out negative. After seeing Daphne's face fall at the sight of the negative sign on her test was when Niles told her they had to go to the doctor.

Just like that, the nerves came flowing back. He knew there was nothing wrong with Daphne. She was still young, and no doubt, fertile. It just had to be him. It would certainly explain why Maris had never gotten pregnant. Though, the one night of passion per year could explain that as well. But, a child could be conceived on only one night.

Oh, the whole thing was so confusing, and Niles was glad it was just him and Daphne in the waiting room. It would have been worse if Frasier and Martin joined them.

"It'll be okay," Daphne whispered, her hand on his.

He didn't have the heart to reply. He just patted her hand with his free one, and studied the waiting room. Seeing mothers with their children made him want to scream. _Just give me one_ , he thought. _I want a child so badly._

"Mr. and Mrs. Crane?" the nurse asked. "This way, please."

Niles and Daphne followed the nurse into another small room. Daphne sat down while Niles stood, balancing himself on the balls of his feet.

"The doctor will be with you shortly."

Niles squeezed Daphne's hand, unable to say anything of comfort should this end badly. They had already taken their separate tests, and all that came was the results.

The doctor's face, much like Daphne's was when she got the false positive test, was unreadable. Of course, that made Niles feel even more apprehensive. With Daphne, it turned out to be good news. Hopefully it would be the same this time around.

Dr. Lee held a clipboard in his hands. As he approached the couple, he took off his glasses and said, "I'm afraid I don't have good news for you two."

And just like that Niles felt his heart sink like a boulder. "Don't have good news," the doctor said. Those words made his stomach churn, and he felt like he would vomit.

"What's wrong?" Daphne had the courage to speak. Her voice shook slightly, and Niles was ready to bolt for the nearest trashcan or toilet.

"Mr. Crane, you told me you went to the sperm bank and found out they had discarded your sample, yes?"

Niles nodded, not trusting himself to speak. He couldn't even look the doctor in the eye.

"Though, she was right in telling you it would be difficult for you to conceive, it appears it has gotten worse. Your sperm's motility has not improved, but have actually lessened."

"So?" Niles spoke, his voice cracking. "We… we can't…?"

Dr. Lee looked sympathetic. Niles tried to be grateful that the doctor cared and felt sorry for them, but he couldn't. He was angry. But not angry at the doctor or Daphne. He was angry at himself. He knew he didn't have any control over this, but he was angry all the same.

"I'm sorry."

Niles nodded. "Yeah. No, thank you, Dr. Lee… Daphne, why don't we…? Daphne?"

She was crying. Niles could tell she was trying hard not to, but the tears were just dripping out of her eyes. She tried to wipe them free, but more kept coming.

"Daphne, I am so sorry. Please, don't…" He stopped. She had every right to cry. Her husband couldn't give her a child. "Let's go home, okay?"

Daphne nodded and got out of the chair. "Thank you, Dr. Lee."

Once they were home, Niles embraced his wife tightly. "Daphne, I am so sorry," he said again. He rubbed her back comfortingly.

"It's not your fault."

"It has to be. What other reason could there be?"

"Niles!" she snapped, pulling away from him. Her lips were thin lines. "Stop blaming yourself."

"Daphne, you heard Dr. Lee. He said nothing about your tests. Only mine. Because mine were the ones that caused this whole mess!"

Daphne didn't say anything. Her lips became thin lines again, and she turned away from Niles. As she walked away, he reached out for her, but she tore her wrist from his grasp.

He didn't want things to be like this. Both of them received crushing news, and the way to deal with that was to be there for each other. But, Daphne was walking away, and Niles was left standing with his hand falling limply to his side.

"Daphne!" he called. "Please, I'm sorry."

She stopped at the foot of the stairs, not turning around. He was reminded of the day he told her that Mel demanded that he not see Daphne in public. "Please, Niles, this is horrible news. Don't make things worse." Daphne turned around, and offered him a slight smile. "We'll get through it, okay? You and me… just like we got through Mel and Donny, my mother moving in, your heart surgery. We're stronger than you give us credit for."

Niles's body seemed to move of its own accord, and soon he had Daphne in his arms again. "Yes. Together, that's all I need."

* * *

"I'm so sorry, you two," Martin said when they came over a few days later. They had wanted some time to themselves, to cope with the news in their own way before telling anyone else. "You just can't help these things." He shrugged, but Niles knew he was disappointed that he would not have another grandchild.

"Yeah," Niles replied. "Oh, well, I suppose." He squeezed Daphne's hand. "At least I have her, right?"

Martin smiled. "That's right."

Frasier opened the door and came in. He slammed his keys into the key bowl and angrily shut the door. His face was red with anger.

"What's wrong with you?" Martin asked.

"Do you really want to know?" Frasier snapped.

"Not really."

Frasier ignored that. "I'll tell you! I just spent half an hour with a man on my show, trying to tell him that dogs cannot fly. He said he claims to see his poodle flying through the house like a helicopter. I tried telling him calmly to perhaps see a doctor so he could get a proper diagnosis. But, no. What did he do? He argued with me that nothing was wrong with him, that perhaps the one that needs to get a diagnosis is his poodle. 'Flying around the house,' he says, 'is not proper dog behavior. So, Cuddles should get some help.' And I look over, and I see Roz laughing at me." He groaned. "She did it on purpose, I'm sure of it."

"So, a man who sees flying dogs is the reason you are in such a foul mood?" Niles asked, though he instantly regretted it when Frasier barked, "No!"

"There's much more to it than that, Niles. Traffic, everywhere. People stopping in the middle of the road for no reason. People honking at me for no reason. I almost got into two accidents today because of reckless drivers!"

"Are you sure it wasn't your fault?" Martin asked.

"I am! This town, I swear… People can't drive or like to pretend they can't, and people can't see when they are wrong…!"

"Frasier, if you're done complaining about Seattle and its inhabitants," Niles spoke up. "Daphne and I need to tell you something."

"Flying dogs, my ass…" Frasier continued.

"Frasier…"

"It's a stop sign for a reason," he continued to grumble, as if he never heard Niles. "It means stop, so you don't ram straight into traffic. That Volvo was so lucky I didn't smash into them!"

"Frasier!" Martin barked. "Will you stop for two minutes so Daphne and Niles could talk to you?"

Frasier stopped his rambling and looked at the couple. "Oh, I'm sorry. So, what do you need to say?"

Niles and Daphne exchanged glances at one another until Niles said, "We went to the doctor's today, and we can't have children."

Frasier's expression softened. Suddenly, all the stuff he had been through that day seem unimportant compared to what his brother and sister-in-law were going through. "Oh, Niles, Daphne, I'm so sorry." He went over to hug them. "What horrible news. Are you alright?"

Daphne nodded. "More or less. It's hard, you know, but we're dealing with it. We'll be fine."

"Yeah," Niles agreed. "We also wanted to thank you and Dad for supporting us this entire journey, even if it didn't turn out the way we wanted."

Frasier patted Niles's back. "No thanks necessary. And the support doesn't end there, Niles. We'll always be there for you and Daphne, especially during this time."

Martin smiled and nodded to show that this was true. Eddie plopped onto his lap and barked and wagged his tail, telling them that he would be there for them as well.

"We really appreciate it," Niles said with a smile.

"How about some dinner? I know you and I aren't keen on pizza, Niles, but let's order a few and just stay in. I'll call Roz."


	4. Chapter 4

Roz showed up an hour later. Frasier, despite being the blabbermouth he was, opted not to tell her the news. He figured it was something Niles and Daphne should tell her, should they want to. Once Roz was in the apartment, Daphne told her everything.

Roz frowned and hugged Daphne tightly. "Wow… that's heavy. I'm sorry, you guys."

Niles shrugged. "It happens. Thank you, Roz."

"But don't think it's your fault, you big doily."

"That's what I've been telling him!" Daphne exclaimed and laughed.

Once they sat down with their pizza, Roz became pensive. She munched on her pizza, staring into space.

She stayed that way for a while until Frasier said, "You okay, Roz?"

"Huh?" Roz shook her head slightly and put her half eaten slice back on the plate. "Yeah, I was just thinking. It may be too soon to think about it, but Niles, Daphne, if you really want to start a family… You could always adopt."

Niles's swallowed his pizza and put the rest of it on the plate. He hadn't even considered that. He and Daphne were so focused on having a baby that was biologically theirs that he hadn't even thought of adopting.

"I understand it's not everyone's favorite option," Roz went on.

"No, no," Martin spoke up. "I think that's a great idea. Of course, it's up to them."

Martin would still get a grandchild, even if it didn't have his blood. And he was fine with that. There were children all over the world without parents, and why should Niles brush them off just because they didn't come from him. The idea was becoming more and more favorable.

"Daphne, Roz has a point. We could get a young child, or we could look for a pregnant mother who can't take care of her child."

Daphne bit down on her lip as she considered it. "I think it's a good idea. I think we should look for a pregnant mother. I want a baby, Niles. One I can raise like my own."

Niles smiled and took her hand. He kissed it. "That's just what I was thinking, my love."

* * *

They put an ad in the local newspaper for a woman who was pregnant, but could not take care of her child. They also included a photograph of the two of them, as well as their backgrounds. Niles thought they really outdone themselves with their descriptions. There was no way anyone would reject them.

"We're on our way, my love," Niles told Daphne after they had come home from placing the ad.

"Oh, Niles, I'm so excited."

"So am I." He grew thoughtful. "I'm sorry I couldn't give you a child." Daphne opened her mouth to protest his apology, but he raised a hand. "But, I am glad we're going to have a family."

Daphne smiled. "A family of our own."

"Do you think we added enough to our ad?" he asked nervously.

"Of course we did. Who can deny a psychiatrist and a physical therapist? It means we make good enough money to raise a child." She frowned. "Well, at least you do."

"I'll be sure to talk to Frasier," he chuckled, kissing her hand. "Come on; let's go celebrate."

Niles and Daphne stopped by a bistro on the way home. Luckily, it wasn't too crowded today, so the fact that they didn't have reservations wasn't held against them. They were escorted to a nice table next to a large window.

Niles couldn't help but smile at the couple at the table next to theirs. They had a daughter in a highchair, and the mother was laughing as she spoonfed her.

"She's a beautiful child," Daphne spoke up.

"Oh, thank you," the woman said. "She's just about 5 months. Time sure does fly, doesn't it, Charles?"

Charles nodded. "That it does, Miranda. It seemed like just yesterday we were bringing her home from the hospital."

"Do you have children?" Miranda asked Niles and Daphne.

"No," Daphne responded. "We… we just placed an ad for adoption. We can't have children of our own."

Niles sighed. He shouldn't feel upset. After all, he and Daphne were going to have a child, even if it wasn't biologically theirs. Still, it felt so unfair.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Miranda said. "But, still, adoption is a good way to go. You will still have that family."

Niles nodded. "Yes." He took Daphne's hand from across the table and stared into her eyes. "We will." Even if he couldn't give it to Daphne in the way he wanted, he had to give her the family they both wanted in any way he could.

* * *

Niles felt discouraged. It had been a week since they placed the ad, and they hadn't gotten any responses. He supposed it was a bit stupid of him to expect to get a response so quickly, but the wait was driving him crazy.

"Niles, it will happen," Frasier assured him. "As much as it pains me to say it, there are many mothers out there who just can't take care of their children. Don't give up hope."

"Yeah. I don't know why I'm getting so worked over this."

"Well, it is a child we're talking about. It's not as if you're waiting to see if you've been accepted into some exclusive club."

"I'm still waiting on that, too."

"You applied for a club?" Frasier snapped. "And you didn't tell me?"

"Like I want you at every club I join."

"Why not? I'm your brother. And I'm pretty awesome."

Niles snorted. "Thank you, Frasier. I needed that."

"Hey, guys," Roz said, sitting down at their table. "How's the search, Niles?"

He shrugged. "Haven't heard from anyone yet, but like Frasier says, I mustn't give up hope."

"That's the spirit! Hopefully you get someone good."

"Yes… wait, what do you mean?" he asked nervously.

"What if the mother is a criminal?"

Niles said nothing. He hadn't really thought of that when they wrote the ad. What if the child grew up to be some sort of criminal?

"Yeah, like what if your kid starts robbing banks and pushing old ladies into traffic?" Roz was saying, but as she spoke, Niles could hear the smirk in her voice. He glared at her, and that was when she began to laugh. He should've known Roz would try to get a rise out of him.

"Very funny, Roz. Daphne and I will raise our child perfectly, thank you."

"There's no perfect way to a raise a child, Niles," Frasier pointed out. "If you expect your child to be perfect, you're putting unrealistic standards on him or her. I'm just saying."

"What I am saying is we'll raise our child right. As a psychiatrist you should know the effects parenting has on a child. Negative parenting will bring about a negative person."

"True," Frasier agreed. "Sometimes, it can be the opposite, but I won't go into that. Your baby will be just fine, Niles. You and Daphne will know what to do."

Just then, Daphne entered the cafe with a smile on her face. Niles wondered what the smile represented, but he dare not get his hopes up. She could be smiling over something else, such as a good day working with Martin or finding a beautiful new dress. He smiled back. Whatever the case, he just loved seeing her smile. It always made his knees weaken.

"Good afternoon, all," she said. There were no seats, so she sat on Niles's lap and put her arms around him.

"What's got you into such a chirper mood?" he asked.

"Well, I'll give you a hint. I got a letter in the mail today." That was all she had to say before the grin spread across his face.

"Really?"

"Uh-huh! A young mother is looking for someone to adopt her child."

"Whoa!" Roz exclaimed. "That's awesome, you guys!"

"Thank you, Roz. I've already made arrangements to meet with her this Friday afternoon, after you've finished work."

Niles's response to that was pulling her down for a kiss. He could feel her smile against his lips.

 **Author's note: I don't want to sound conceited, but the old ladies in traffic thing makes me laugh.**


End file.
